NEW N.Z. AIR CHIEF

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 79, 30 September 1941, Page 6

NEW N.Z. AIR CHIEF

COMMODORE GODDARD

TO SUCCEED COMMODORE

SAUNDERS

j New Zealand is to have a new Chief of the Air Staff—Air Commodore R. V. Goddard, C.8.E., R.AJV who is to succeed Air Commodore H. W. L. Saunders, C.8.E., M£L, M.M., R.A.F. Air Commodore Saunders is shortly to return to the United Kingdom.

In making this announcement last night, the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) said that Air Commodore Saunders, who was appointed Chief of the Air Staff in 1939, had already, at the re-

quest of the Government, served an extended term in the Dominion, and his desire to secure closer contact with air operations overseas' was fully appreciated.

"No adviser on defence matters," the Prime Minister said, "has given more valuable and practical assistance to the Government than Air Commodore Saunders, and his departure will be greatly regretted. I have met Air Commodore Goddard in London and I feel that he will be a worthy successor."

Air Commodore, Goddard, who is a graduate' of the Royal Air Force Staff College, was appointed Deputy Director of Intelligence in 1939 and in January last he was promoted from group captain to air commodore.

Air Commodore Goddard, who is 44 years of age, was educated at the Royal Naval Colleges at Osborne and Dartmouth and was attached to the Royal Naval Air Service (Airship Section) in May, 1915. He was on airship duties from 1915 to 1918 with the Grand Fleet and the British Expeditionary Force in France. In 1919-20 he was associated with rigid airship mooring experiments.

He graduated in aeronautical engineering at Cambridge and London after studying from 1921 to 1924. In 1930 and 1931 he was chief instructor of the officers' engineering course and commanded No. 30 Squadron of the Royal Air Force in Britain. He passed through the Staff Colleges of Andover and Greenwich in 1929 and 1934.

In 1939 Air Commodore Goddard was appointed Deputy-Director of Intelligence and was later the Chief of Staff of the Air Component at British General Headquarters in France. More recently he was Director of Military Cooperation at the Air Ministry. He was a regular commentator "a broadcasts through the British Broadcasting Corporation, and was heard at intervals of about three weeks.